


Royal Reunion

by pokemonfreak387



Series: pfreak's Original Post-Pacifist Undertale AU [3]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Backstory, F/M, Gender-Neutral Frisk, Nightmares, POV First Person, Post-Pacifist Route, Spoilers - Pacifist Route, Undertale Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-04 04:11:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6640963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pokemonfreak387/pseuds/pokemonfreak387
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ever since their children’s death, Asgore and Toriel have been on very bad terms with each other. However, when their new child saves their old one, Toriel maternal instincts begin to long for the feeling of being a family again. She doesn’t want to be with Asgore after all he’s done, but something within her is making her give him one more chance. Confused and irritated, she seeks help from the only other person she feels could understand her, hoping to find out what to do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Past

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys I'm pokemonfreak387, or pfreak as I usually go by.
> 
> So first off, I'm sorry this took so long to come out. After all the Friskriel stuff, I hit a bit of a writers block and had difficulty finding inspiration for this story. Then when I did write some of it, I had accidentally deleted it and had to spend another hour trying to remember what I wrote. But either way, here is the next part of my Post-Pacifist Undertale AU.
> 
> This one is going to talk about how Toriel and Asgore finally mend their relationship after the return of their son.
> 
> ****
> 
> DISCLAIMER:
> 
> **While I understand that in canonical lore, the war that takes place in Undertale was centuries before what happens currently, but for the sake of writing freedom and my sanity, I have made it take place sometime in the mid 1900s. I apologize if you're super strict on lore and stuff, but I'm having a rough time writing this so I need some creative freedom. Thank you for understanding!**

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toriella Cardinal goes to college only to find out her life's fate.

I always enjoyed how the country used to be. Despite the constant new construction, there were so many vibrant colors of flora everywhere. Gold, Purple, Blue, Green… I didn’t know then that I wouldn’t see these colors again for a long time.

My name then was Toriella Cardinal. I always hated my name. It seemed unnecessarily long and dainty. Whenever anyone bothered to listen, I had always asked them to call me Toriel instead, but that wasn’t very often. Back then, being both a monster and a woman meant you didn’t have a lot of power. I didn’t really care about that back then, and even now I leave that more political stuff to my child, as I never really had a desire to have the same power as a human male. At the moment, my only desire was to finish preparing to leave for college.

My family was amongst the very poor, post-depression families. My mother never finished school, and my father had worked as a glass maker for hire. We lived off of his commissions, but they were very few and far between. It was a miracle that I was even given the opportunity to go to school, but I didn’t know then that that was the last time I would see my parents.

Another reason for our lack of currency was the constant conflict between humans and monsters. I never really paid any attention to it when I was young, but as I grew older, I began slowly seeing the conflicts rise in both person and in the news. This was why the college I had been accepted to wasn’t one of the better colleges in the area. It was underfunded, and I could tell the atmosphere there was a very negative and tense one.

This racial conflict was the biggest issue in the school. When I was younger, I had teachers and even other peers who were very nice to each other, despite our cultural and physical difference. College unfortunately did not share that characteristic, as I had seen many strifes between the two races. Humans would beat up monsters, and monsters would threaten humans with their magic. Even though there were so many issues, I had never gotten involved into any of it. I had gotten very introverted, closing myself in my dorm and focusing more on my studies.

My dorm was a very small one, holding a single bedroom and another room for eating. Thankfully, they had allowed me to be the only being to inhabit this dorm, but it resulted in the place being very lonely. It wasn’t until a fateful encounter would this feeling finally disappear.

One morning, I was on my way to my Monster History class. The two subjects of human history and monster history were separate classes because the two didn’t become one until the renaissance era. I had only chose the class in hopes of learning where I had come from, and if monsters and humans had ever lived as one. Unfortunately, the class was run by a turtle-monster, no doubt a relative of Gerson. He never did anything exciting, always giving giant lectures and making it always seem like monsters were the victims of any conflict.

Today, he was going on a very boring tangent about when monsters first discovered metals back in what was known now as Asia. The night prior, I had been unable to get a lot of sleep due to a lot of sounds coming from the room next to mine. I was constantly drifting in and out of sleep, and when I had finally succumbed to it, I was awoken with my head landing on the table with a rather loud thump. Everyone was looking at me, including the teacher, and I could feel my face heat up with embarrassment.

“Ms. Cardinal!” He yelled. “I’m sorry if you find my class to very boring, but maybe you’ll find a visit to the Headmaster’s office to be a bit more exciting? Mr. Dreemurr!” He had then turned to the only other goat-monster in the school. “Please keep an eye on her take this woman to the headmaster’s office so she may learn her place.”

“Yes sir.” He replied.

Everyone knew about the Dreemurr family, the Royal Family for Monsters. While humans here in the United States had presidents, the monsters were usually ruled under a monarchy of a king and a queen. The two governments sometimes worked together, but often they each only bothered with the affairs of their respective races. This did not help the segregation issue much, if at all.

As we walked down to the Headmaster’s office, I was rather surprised when the Prince of the Royal Family started a conversation with me.

“I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced?” He started. “Asgore Dreemurr, Prince of the Royal Family.”

“Oh, um… Hi I’m… Toriella Cardinal.” I was flattered, to be honest. I didn’t expect anyone famous to actually talk to me, so I was taken back a little with surprise.

“Toriella? That’s a nice name. Would you mind if I called you Tori for short?” He had asked in a very deep voice.

I was surprised at that. This was the first time anyone had asked to call me by a nickname instead of my full name or my last name. I gave a happy smile and said yes, to which he replied with a warm smile of his own. We walked a bit longer before I spoke up again.

“So you’re the Prince of Monsters, correct?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you choose this college instead of another one? I mean, surely other colleges would have been better for you.”

“I was asked by my father, the King of Monsters, to come here and try to solve the conflicts going on within this area. I’m an ambassador of sorts, helping out with both social and economical problems of both races.”

“Oh… If you could, would you choose another college?”

“Hm… Maybe. But I feel like that ever since I have been here, I’ve definitely made a positive impact on this place.”

His optimism was definitely enjoyable to hear. I was rather surprised by his answer, but I supposed from a political standpoint it would make sense. I was also rather surprised that someone with such a high social status like him would talk to someone who was on the completely opposite side of that list. Despite his high status, he was a very kind soul, always willing to help when people needed it, and talked very sweetly and calmly. Even though I barely knew him, I felt very safe around him.

After that encounter, we had been seeing each other for a while. We had became close friends, and being with him made me slowly become less and less introverted. Surprisingly, being friends with the Prince of Monsters had brought no conflict to me still, and anything that nearly came up was stopped when Asgore talked. I had slowly began to feel something for him more than friendship, but it wasn’t until months later would I have figured out what I was feeling.

It was near the end of my first year. The warm spring air was wafting through my room, and I was on my bed, reading a romance novel I had brought with me. As I was reading, a knock on my door made me jump a small bit, contrasting from the otherwise silent room. I had only one guess as to who it was, and as I opened the door, I was greeted with the white-and-gold face of Asgore. I gave him a warm smile, but it quickly turned to a frown as I noticed the usual light gone from his eyes.

“Hello, Asgore. How are you?”

“Tori… Can we talk for a moment?” Even his voice was missing its usual warmth, meaning whatever he wanted to speak about was serious.

Thankfully, the small room still had enough room for both of us. Asgore was quite big, and his horns nearly hit me a few times on the way to the bed, to where we sat down and began speaking.

“Tori, you know what me being the Prince of Monsters means, yes?”

“I know a generalization of it, yes.” I had replied.

“Well, what it also means is that when my father dies, I will have to leave to take his place. As the heir to the throne, I will inherit his responsibilities and become the new King of Monsters.”

“Well yes, that would make sense. Why are you telling me this?”

He made eye contact with me, and I noticed his eyes began pooling with tears. Slowly, he spoke his answer.

“My father is… Dead…” And at that last word, he leaned into his hands and began quietly sobbing. I scooted my way over to his side, wrapping my arms around him in a comforting hug. He returned the gesture, but I couldn’t help but flinch a bit. I had rarely actually physically interacted with anyone since I had started the year, so feeling the foreign presence of a hug was a little weird at first. However, I began to feel safe in his big, furry arms, and hearing his sobs resonate through his chest left a form of peace within me.

After a moment, Asgore regained his composure and began to speak again. “He had died in a skirmish duel with another human. Well… He didn’t die within it, but after it. He had won the duel and was leaving the area, but then he was shot with an arrow from somewhere. They found the arrow to be filled with a deadly poison, killing him shortly.”

Once he was done explaining the death, he had let out another series of sobs. I couldn’t help but start tearing up a little myself, even though I had no connection with his father in any way. Maybe it was because Asgore was crying, and as a friend I felt the need to cry with him. This thought was quickly altered by the next thing he said, however.

“My coronation is supposed to be in a week, and by then I need to have found myself a queen. I was wondering… Would you like to be my queen, Tori?”

I looked up at him, shock covering my face. I didn’t understand if this was fate or pure chance. Why did he choose me out of all the other woman than were in this school? Was it cause I was the only other goat-monster? Was it because he felt pity for me? My expression turned to confusion, hoping he got the hint.

“I… I’ve been in love with you since Mr. Allisnap had told me to take you to the Headmaster. You’re another goat-monster, you’re so kind even though you’ve had a rough life, and the little snacks you cook are absolutely delicious. I think you would make a great queen for the kingdom, and I would love to spend the rest of my life with you.”

That was not the admission I had expected, but it wasn’t the one I didn’t want. I could tell from his face and the way he said the words that everything he said was genuine. It filled me with joy that someone actually wanted me for me, and not because I’m another woman. It was such an early proposal, but it was one I took gladly.

“Yes.” I finally cried. The tears that had been pricking at my eyes have finally spilled, but not in a moment of sadness but that of joy. With that, we had married a week later, and the two of us had been coronated as the King and Queen of Monsters. It was a wonderful time for the both of us… But it had been cut too short.

We had spent years together, but soon conflict got out of control. The War had finally begun, the war between monsters and humans. Many people, humans and monsters alike, had lost their lives, including both my parents. Eventually, we had lost that war, and we had been sealed Underground.

I still had hope and trust within Asgore and myself to do the right thing… But soon we lost both the children we had, one we birthed and one that had come from the surface. Asgore got furious for one of the first times in his life, and swore that he would kill any human that fell down and keep their soul to release us all. I couldn’t see him like this. I had to leave. I didn’t want to leave, but I had to leave. I still don’t want to leave, and I want what we had back.

I want my family back.


	2. The Present Situation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asriel returns to his family and Toriel begins to long for the feeling of being a family again, but finds herself conflicted, resulting in her asking the only other friend she thinks she can talk to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I'm pfreak!
> 
> The school year is coming to a close so there is a lot I need to focus on. Cause of this, chances are updates may or may not be slow from time to time. Also, I'm sorry if the story may seem a bit repetitive at times, writer's block is still attacking my mind. And puns are becoming increasingly difficult for me to come up with, which is ironic tbh.
> 
> If you feel I should've changed something, feel free to tell me!

It has been a day since Frisk left with Alphys to the Underground to try to revive Asriel and I’m getting worried. Asgore came over to wait with me. I was at first annoyed by him and was about to ask him to leave, but I then remember that what we’re doing is waiting to find the fate of our original child. I at least would give him this.

We sat and waited on the porch, but we soon fell asleep to the sounds of the forests and the surprisingly warm summer night air. Perhaps it was the fur on our bodies that kept us warm, but it isn’t too relevant. To say I had slept peacefully would be lying. I kept having flashbacks of that day so many years ago: Asriel absorbing Chara’s soul, returning an hour later covered in wounds and instantly collapsing on the golden flowers. It was horrifying, as Asriel’s body began dissolving into dust, and his shared soul slowly break before our very eyes.

This flashback played in my head for about the third time that night before I was awoken by someone yelling. I slowly opened my eyes to see where the source of the yell came from, seeing Asgore across from me as I did. A feeling of mild disgust hit me before I turned towards the yard, where the feeling was replaced with that of joy as I notice the familiar white figure bounding towards us.

“ASRIEL!” Asgore and I yelled.

He jumps into our arms, and the three of us instantly begin weeping out of happiness. I grip on him tight, as if to make sure this is real and not me dreaming.

“Asriel… We missed you so much…” Asgore sobbed.

“My child… My actual child…” I cried.

I take a moment to turn to Frisk and Alphys, giving them the thanks they so rightfully deserve. As our reunion continues, the rest of our friends come over to see what is going on. All of them yell out cheers of praise to the two saviors, though I notice that Sans isn’t as enthusiastic as the other two. Then again, he is competing against Undyne and Papyrus in that category, and I highly doubt anyone could beat them in enthusiasm and energy.

“You know what I think this celebration needs?” Frisk starts. “I think we should celebrate with some pie.”

“Yes, I agree.” I reply. “Frisk, Asriel, would you two like to help me?”

They excitedly nod yes in my direction, and I make my way back into the house. I begin working on two pies: snail pie for Asriel, Asgore, and me, and butterscotch-cinnamon for everyone else. I am surprised Asriel is not nearly just skin and bones in his new body, but I have no doubt Alphys made sure to feed him as soon as he first recovered. After finally saving my original child, my trust in Alphys is anything but lacking.

I begin to think with about how life is going to be like with Asriel back with… Me… It is then I realize that it isn’t going to be like old times. It’s not the absence of Chara that’s going to make it different… It’s the absence of Asgore.

He won’t be completely gone, that’s for sure. However, he doesn’t live with us anymore, and he and I officially divorced shortly after Frisk broke the barrier. It seemed easy and simple then, but now that I think back maybe it was a mistake. Or maybe I’m just doubting myself, thinking I can’t handle being a single mother of now two children?

My thoughts are shattered as Asriel and Frisk run up to me, Asriel bouncing with excitement. I have been told of the powers Asriel had as Flowey, so I had no doubt it had been years to Asriel since he had last even seen one of my pies. As I give him the mixing bowl filled with snails and other various pie ingredients, I take another look at him. He's just how he was before he absorbed Chara’s soul: green-and-lime striped shirt, black jeans, fur white and neatly groomed, ears only going down to his neck. I begin to tear up a bit at finally being able to see him again.

Unfortunately, the sight brings me back to my previous thoughts. The image I had of our old family, the one where Chara and Asriel were holding flowers in the front, makes an appearance in my vision. Do I really just want the feeling of being a family again? Frisk looks so much like Chara physically, so it wouldn’t be much different. No, I shouldn’t think of them like that.

I once again manage to retire these thoughts as I make the pies with my current children. But alas, they are once again brought up as Asgore walks into the kitchen, probably trying to find a chance to escape the antics going on in the living room, and to see Asriel again. I give him a tired look, but I decide to stay civil and avoid any drama between the two of us.

We celebrate Asriel’s revival shortly after the pies finish. As expected, us three boss monsters eat the snail pie, while everyone else goes to town on the butterscotch-cinnamon one. We chose to bake two of them so everyone could have a few slices, but to my surprise, Frisk actually asks for a slice of the snail pie. A little surprised, I cut them a slice and look at them intently to see what happens. They go to sit back next to Asriel and Sans, and they begin to eat the slice. They actually manage to finish it, but with little grimaces along the way. No doubt they did it to try to be nice to Asriel. They’re going to get along perfectly.

Once everything has died down to chatter amongst the group, a majority of it focusing on Asriel to no surprise, I take all the dishes and begin to wash them. As I do, I hear the familiar heavy footsteps of Asgore, and my mood once again takes a turn for the worse. _He wants to talk about the custody of Asriel, no doubt_ , I thought.

“Tori...el, can I talk to you for a moment?” He asks.

“I believe it would be best if he lives with me.” I reply flatly, not even bothering to look at him.

“Um… What?”

“Asriel.”

“Oh, yes of course. I think that would be the best plan of action.” I clearly caught him by surprise with the quick response, but not with the answer I gave. Unfortunately, that’s not all he wants to talk about.

“Listen, Toriel… I wanted to talk to you about something else too… It also regards Asriel, but it also is about us.”

“Asgore look.” I drop the dishes back into the sink with a huff. “Right now is not the best time we talk about this, alright? Unfortunately, even the revival of our son is not going to just erase the entire past quite so easily. I would appreciate it if you could please just leave me to my own thoughts right now.”

His voice is silent, but his movements tell me that he’s doing as he’s asked. Once he’s gone, I let out a sigh from a breath I didn’t know I was holding, and I return to the dishes.

…

The rest of the day involves Frisk and me teaching and re-teaching various things to Asriel. Thankfully, he is a very smart child, learning everything very quickly and most of it comes to him naturally. Frisk teaches him about electronics, and soon I find him very attached to one of the spare _Nintendo 3DS_ es that Mettaton gave Frisk. I find the two of them playing a game called _Pokemon_ together, and I smile at their happy faces.

I fall asleep to another rather rough night. However, it's not the flashbacks of Asriel’s death that keep me up, but instead dreams about some memories we had shared. My mind plays back the scene when I first met Chara. I was outside, tending to the tree we had magically grown, when I heard Asriel talking to someone. When he entered the corridor where we lived, he had a human about his height with him, and I had, without hesitation, invited them to join our family.

Family… Why does that word give me such a longing feeling? I already have a family with Frisk and now Asriel, not to mention plenty of friends we could consider family. So why does it feel like something is missing?

Tired of not knowing what to do, I called up Sans the next day and asked if he was available to talk. Instead of answering with words, I heard the signature zap of magic he used whenever he used his teleportation spells, or “shortcuts” as he liked to call them. It was the only kind of magic I had ever seen used by Sans, but with it being such a complicated spell, there’s no doubt he’s a very powerful caster. Sure enough, I heard a knock come from outside my bedroom door, and opening it revealed the short skeleton-monster, smiling his usual grin.

“Hey Tori, what’s **got your goat** this time?”

Despite my confused feelings, I couldn't help but giggle at the little joke. This was one of the many reasons I liked Sans. Even with all the worries of being a mother and trying to fit into human society, the brief moments we shared, telling jokes and laughing, always made me forget about the troubles in the world for a short bit. It was nice, and I was glad to have him as a friend. However, these moments were very short lived, and the reason why I called him over came back to me, making me frown again as I talked.

“Hello Sans, I was hoping to get your advice on something.”

“Man, what am I, a counselor? First the kid wanted my advice on how to save the prince, and now you need to talk about something. If my hotdog business wasn’t booming, then I would've probably considered being a counselor at your school.”

“Heh, yes, that does sound a bit ridiculous. Unfortunately, you’re the only person I can trust to talk to about this.”

“Is it something that involves Asriel?”

“Well, yes… But it mainly regards, um… Asgore.”

“I see… Alright what’s up? Besides of the ceiling, of course.”

I took a moment to think of what I wanted to say, starting it off with a sigh before the words began spilling out.

“I know it’s only been a couple days since Asriel has returned, but ever since he has, I’ve been having this feeling. It’s… Hard to describe to someone who’s never been a parent before. I just… Feel like something is missing from my life. I mean, I am the principal and teacher of my very own school, the first school that allows both monsters and humans to attend together, and I am a mother of both my original child and another human. Even with all these notes of excellency and fulfillment, I still feel like there’s something in my life missing…”

“But you clearly know what’s missing, don’t you?” Sans interjects.

“Yes… I do…” I sigh before continuing. “Even though Asriel is back, I still feel like our family is incomplete. I want the feeling of a complete family back, but I can’t forgive Asgore so easily… Not after all he has done to those other poor humans… Not after what he almost did to Frisk… I just… I don’t know what to do Sans. I’m so conflicted…”

Tears began pricking at my eyes, and they were dangerously close to spilling over. I rest my face on my palms as I sit on the bed. Sans sits next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder and slowly rubbing it. The action brings pleasant goosebumps down my spine as he begins to speak.

“Look, Tori… You may not be blood related, but you and Frisk both do share a lot of traits. For example, you’re both bad at assuming I’m the one you should be talking about your problems. I’m not good at giving advice, but that doesn't mean I can’t steer you in the right direction. I understand why you want me to help, but I’m not the one you’re having issues with, meaning that I can’t do anything. That, and I also would prefer not to be doing anything.

“Tori, this is something that concerns you and Mr. Fluffybuns, alright? The only way you’re going to fix your problems is to face them directly. Don’t wait for them to become bigger issues, I’ve seen what happens when that happens.”

He’s right. I’m avoiding my problems cause I don’t want to deal with them, but I know I’m only making things worse. The kids need a father figure in their life and I need to let go of the past. But, isn't that also what I’m trying to grab? That past feeling or being together? I can’t help but let the tears come out at this point, rolling down my cheeks and onto my palms.

“Tori… At least try to talk to him, alright?” Sans asks. “At least do it for the kid and the kid.”

I let out a small chuckle between my tears over the pun. He’s wrong about one thing however, he really is the one to talk about problems with. I turn to him and give him a furry hug. He’s slow to return the gesture, but it’s good enough.

“Thank you Sans. I don’t know what’d I do without you.”

“You’d probably be swimming with Undyne’s relatives.”

“That one was a bit of a stretch.”

“Well at least now I can **exercise** it.”

“Better.”

When we release, he walks out of the room and teleports back home, leaving me alone in my room again. I look at the time to see it’s almost noon, so I decide to go downstairs and prepare lunch for the children. For the children… I should do this for them as well and not just myself. We will be a family. In Frisk’s words, I am determined to do this.


	3. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toriel finally talks to Asgore, but things go very sour after hearing more of the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey y'all, I'm sorry for the super late update. Writer's block bit me in the ass as well as being a part of a couple of school performances. Everything else is either school or procrastination, so the usual. Anyways, this chapter includes some more angsty stuff, so if you came for fluff, I'm sorry but angst for the sake of story progression comes first.
> 
> If you feel I should've changed anything, don't hesitate to tell me!

Papyrus had invited the children to do various puzzles and other antics with him, so I had the house to myself today. At first, I was going to take this opportunity to do some house work, but I then realized that maybe I should take this opportunity instead to finally talk to Asgore. Reluctant as I am, I give him a call.

The phone rings for a short bit, then the receiver clicks.

“Howdy! Asgore Dreemurr speaking.”

“Hello Asgore.”

“T… Toriel? Wh-What’s up?”

“I… Was wondering if you, erm… If you could… Come over? For tea?”

“S-sure. I’ll be there s-soon.”

I hadn’t expect myself to be so nervous about inviting him over. Thankfully, he seemed just as nervous about the offer, but then again I expect that’s probably because it was me offering him to come over. I don’t often do that, if at all. Usually, he comes here on his own accord, but at the moment I really do need to talk to him.

While I myself am not a big fan of tea, Frisk I know absolutely loves it. Because of this, I thankfully always keep some of their favorite, Golden Flower Tea, in stock. I’ve never really had the tea before, so I’m not totally sure talking over this would be a good idea, but it is what I offered. I do owe Asgore at least this much.

As I brew the tea, I begin to think about what exactly it is I want to talk about. The most obvious point is that I want to talk about us and our relationship. I want to talk about being a family again, no doubt about that. _But how should I approach it?_ I thought to myself

_“Asgore, I know I didn’t want to talk to you before about it but now I find it an appropriate time to-” No, too wordy._

_“Asgore, let’s talk family.” No, too direct and needy sounding._

_“Let us be the frolicking lovers we once-” Ok what the hell._

Thankfully, the whistling of the kettle snapped me out of my thoughts before they got any weirder. I take the kettle and pour the tea into a couple of cups, letting the silence settle into the house. The silence calms my heart, which at this point I had no idea was beating so quickly. I was just going to talk to Asgore, that wasn't something I was a stranger to, so why was I so nervous?

Then it occurred to me that maybe I'm worried that things may turn for the worse. What if Asgore doesn't come over at all? What if I make a mess of things by not letting go of the past? What if it turns out we can never be together ever again?

I chided myself for constantly asking too many questions, and instead I focused at the task at hand while waiting for Asgore arrive. Once the tea was ready, I made my way back to the master bedroom’s bathroom to put on some make-up. Thankfully, since my face was mostly covered in a beautiful snow-white fur, make up was not a necessity. However, I had noticed that the constant worrying and troubled thoughts have brought some stress marks to my face, and I wanted to avoid any of them showing to Asgore.

As I finished applying the make-up, the doorbell rang, causing me to jump at the sudden noise. Breathing deeply and slowly, I made my way over to the door and opened it. There, as was expected, stood Asgore. He was wearing a two-toned pink striped shirt, looking very similar to the Cheshire Cat from the human movie _Alice in Wonderland_ , and a pair of jean-shorts. I was a little annoyed that he didn't at least try to dress in something nice, but I discarded the feeling for the moment.

“Hey Toriel.”

“Hello Asgore.” I attempt to say pleasantly, but it comes off a bit more venomous than I intended. “Come in, I have some tea in the kitchen.”

He carefully takes a step in the house, acting like one wrong move is going to cause me incinerate him. I didn't think that I caused him to be that afraid of me, but I suppose I did nearly incinerate him when I heard he would begin killing humans. He has a right to act the way he does, and it breaks my heart a bit.

We move to the kitchen. The tea there has cooled down a bit too much, so the two of us use a bit of our fire magic to warm it up again. Nervously, I take my first sip of the tea. It is initially very sweet, tasting almost just like sugar, but the aftertaste of it is very sour, causing me to slightly pucker my lips. I look at Asgore, who immediately shifts his eyes down. We don't say anything for a while, Asgore slowly sipping at his tea and me just staring into mine. I let out a sigh and decide to start the conversation.

“Asgore, I… Wanted to talk to you about something.”

He jumps at me speaking and slowly moves his eyes back towards me, but he avoids eye contact.

“Yes?” He replies deeply.

“I never really… Um, got a straight answer from you… Why… Why did you first fall in love with me?”

“Oh um…” He was hesitant to reply, making me fear the worse. But as soon as he stopped talking, he started again.

“It was back in college I believe is when we first got together. We went to one of the colleges in Olympia, and I was greeted as any prince would’ve been: Everyone greeted me with respect, but I was often met with nervousness. However, only the monsters ever showed any true signs of respect, the humans only greeted me with such because it would’ve looked bad for them. I hadn’t noticed you before, maybe because then I was at a mindset of ladies being more as objects than actual people.”

That shocked me a bit. He seemed too kind to even have that mindset, especially since he was supposed to be the leader of monster-kind then. I was going to say something, but I held my tongue for now and let him continue.

“I had never actually talked to any of the girls there one-on-one, that is until our… Um… Which teacher was it that had called me to take you to the… Uh…”

“Mr. Allisnap, our history professor. And it was to the headmaster’s office.” I answered, rather irritated he had forgotten these details.

“Yes, him. Heh, he was a funny teacher, wasn’t he? Always cranky, got mad at nearly everything possible. It was a miracle we learned anything from him.”

“Asgore, please don’t get off subject.”

“Right, sorry... It wasn't until I took you down there that I had actually had a conversation with any woman that wasn't my mother nor one of my servants. It was nice…”

Asgore had paused for a moment, and I noticed a small glimmering in his eyes. They seemed to be tears forming, meaning he was probably remembering his father.

“Then… My father got killed, leaving me with the responsibility to rule over monster-kind. I was told by my servants that my coronation would be in a week, and by that time, I needed to find a wife. And, seeing as you were the closest person I ever got to know, I thought you would be the best choice.”

I slowly took in his words, trying to process his admission. What it sounded like to me was that he chose to marry me more because he had to and less because he wanted to. Was our love then just an illusion caused by the time period and desperation within our world then?

“So what you're saying is that you had to choose me? Because you had no other options?”

“N-no! That… That’s not… I mean…” Asgore let out a quiet sigh, his eyes looking down and avoiding mine. “Maybe at the time that's what happened, but when we got married, I slowly began to get more reasons to love you. I-”

“Asgore, that is enough.” I cut him off sternly, not willing to listen to anymore of his rambling. Tears were burning at the edges of my eyes, and I had to turn my head away so he didn’t notice them. I didn't want to hear his excuses. He told me what I wanted to know, that being that he didn't really fall in love with me, not until we had been forced together by the monster-government. It was not the answer I wanted to hear.

There was a moment of silence, then I had spoken up. “I’m sorry for wasting your time.” I didn't mean just Asgore’s. “That was all I needed you for. Please, leave.”

“But Tori I-”

“LEAVE.”

He had gotten up slowly, tears slowly and silently coming down onto his face fur. He made his way to the door and let himself out, leaving me alone at the table, our tea still sitting there untouched. Finally, the tears that had been dancing on the edges of my eyes had finally escaped, and with them came a small sob.

I felt alone. I felt as if I failed. I was supposed to fix our relationship, but the moment I learned the truth, I had ruined everything. I wanted to blame Asgore, I had blamed Asgore, but it wasn't entirely his fault. He had tried to love me, truly love me, and I just shut him down.

I looked down into my teacup and saw my reflection. I looked old, tired, and sad, just like how I felt. I thought I could bring back the family I once knew, now that Asriel had finally returned to us, but I had only made things worse. I took the two cups and cleaned them, then poured the remainder of the tea into a couple more cups for when the children get home.

As if right on cue, I hear the door open once again. I turn and expect Asgore to have returned, but instead I see Frisk running through the room, being chased by Asriel and Papyrus both. Frisk skids to a halt when they see me, but Asriel and Papyrus don’t stop as quickly, causing them to stumble into Frisk. Despite the pain of knocking into each other, the three of them continue to laugh.

I give a small chuckle, but I avoid showing my face to them. I didn’t want to show my children my weak state, especially since it would most likely not bode well with Asriel. I always remembered he broke down usually when there was even the slightest bit of tension between the family. I didn’t want him to go through that right now. I didn’t want Asriel to deal with anything right now that may harm him. If only I could keep such from happening for everything.

…

I don’t think I had a decent night’s sleep since the day before Alphys and Undyne brought Frisk back to me unconscious. Even during the days where they just focused on experiments and tested out the artificial souls, I constantly had trouble sleeping, worried about what may happen. Tonight was no different, and I had finally given up and chose to go for a small walk around the house.

I walked into the kitchen and prepared myself a bit of hot chocolate. The night was rather cold for the summertime, and I would usually calm myself by downing such warm drinks. Especially when I added a special snail flavoring to the drink, I could usually fall asleep afterwards.

As I was making my way back into my room, I heard sobbing coming from upstairs. I had placed my drink on the nearby coffee table and made my way up the stairs. Frisk and Asriel were sleeping together until we finally get a mattress for Asriel, so thankfully I could find my children in the same spot, no matter who it was that was crying. Slowly opening the door, I saw a very strange sight. Frisk was hunched over Asriel, crying into their arms that laid on his stomach. Asriel was still asleep and motionless, but his face was that of pain.

“Frisk, my child? What’s wrong?” I asked quietly.

They looked up at me. Their face in fear and anguish.

“Mom… Asriel… There’s something wrong!” They wailed to me. “He keeps squirming… Like he’s in pain… And he won’t wake up!”

I bounded towards the bed and picked up my goat-child, fear now coursing through my body. I had tried to calmly wake him, but soon I began shaking his a bit harder. No result.

Panic-stricken, I made my way to the nearby phone and called up Alphys. After what feels like forever, the receiver clicks, and the familiar sleepy voice answers.

“T… Toriel? It’s 12… What is it?”

“Alphys, it’s… It’s Asriel… There’s something wrong, he won’t wake up!”

“Oh… Oh no… Bring him here immediately, I’ll go set up some scanners. Call Asgore and Sans too, they may want to know about this.”

I didn’t really want to call either of them after earlier, but I know they would want to know what was going on as well.

“Mom? What’s… What’s going to happen?” Frisk timidly asked. It broke my heart to hear them sounding so weak.

“We’re going to figure this out, my child. Get your shoes on, we’re going to Alphys’.”


	4. The Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asriel doesn't seem to be able to wake up until someone does something miraculous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys I'm pfreak. Sorry again for the slow update, but I promise you by next week I'll be updating a lot more frequently as the school play that I'm a part of does its last show tomorrow.
> 
> Also I hope y'all enjoy the little change in perspective I did in this chapter.
> 
> If you think I should change anything, feel free to tell!

_Where…_

_Where am I?_

_It’s so dark in here… Am I dead? I can still see my body… Thankfully still the boss monster body I knew. I don’t understand what’s going on…_

_***crunch*** _

_Huh? What was that? Is someone there?_

_***shuffle* *shuffle*** _

_Mom? Frisk? Who’s there?_

**_…_ **

_… Flowey?_

**_… Heh heh… Maybe you aren’t as stupid as you look._ **

…

I had arrived with at Alphys’ and Undyne’s place within five minutes, Frisk by my side, Asriel in my arms. We chose not to even bother taking the car, as I was never good at driving, so I didn’t want to waste time. I pounded furiously on the door, and it was quickly opened by Undyne, a face of determination stuck on her face. She took Asriel from me and rushed towards the basement, Frisk and me following suit.

This was the first time I ever saw the basement of Alphys’ and Undyne’s house. It was rather large, making up for the small upper floor, and it was filled with plenty of lab tables, random machines, and bookshelves. There was also a couch and a few chairs, as well as a bed connected to a few machines in the center. Alphys stood by it, checking some of the machines. She turns as she hears us.

“Put him in the bed, quick! I need to run several scans on him.”

Undyne follows the scientist’s directions, placing Asriel surprisingly gently onto the bed. Instantly, Alphys jumps into action. She runs around to all the machines hooked up, pressing a series of colorful buttons, and attaching various cords to the child. All Frisk and I can do is just sit there, waiting and hoping that whatever happens, it doesn't result in losing Asriel again.

…

_Flowey!? What do you want?_

_**Isn’t it obvious? You thought that just because you have a soul you could just get rid of me? C’mon, you at least must be smart enough to remember what I said, right?** _

_Sh-shut up! I’m not going to listen to you!_

_**Oh what a shame, too bad that won’t be possible. But, if you want to make this difficult, so be it.** _

_Why do you insist on doing this to me?_

_**Why? Oh man you really are an idiot! Don’t you get it? I’m your conscience, and you will be stuck with me forever! I will remind you always what of what you’ve done, I’ll make sure you never forget the thousands of lives you brought to an end.** _

_P-please! Don't!_

…

“Oh… Oh dear…”

It’s been an hour since Alphys began working on waking Asriel up. Frisk has fallen asleep crying, and I have been sitting next to them, staring intently on the machines. I still don't understand what any of them mean, but thankfully Alphys does. Sans had arrived moments after we did, sitting in the lap of a sleepy yet wailing Papyrus on the floor. Pretty soon, before Alphys could continue, Asgore arrives as well.

“Is… Everything alright?” He hesitantly asks, walking into the basement.

“I… That’s sort of objective.” Alphys replies. “I f-found out what’s wrong, and it’s n-nothing easy.”

We all remain silent, urging Alphys to go on.

“According to the various scans, Asriel is in what I can only assume is in a coma-inducing nightmare. Whatever he’s dreaming right now, it's so psychologically painful that he won't be able to wake up through typical waking means.”

“Does that mean tiny Asgore is going to… Die?” Papyrus squeaked, clutching Sans tighter within his lap, a process I noticed Sans allows a lot whenever Papyrus is scared. Sans himself thankfully was still awake, and he is also staring at the machines. He seems to understand them more than me, but seeing as he helped bring Asriel back in the first place, that was no surprise.

“N-no! … W-well, maybe. If we d-don't wake him s-soon, he may exhaust th-the power of his soul trying t-to combat whatever nightmare he’s h-having.”

“And seeing as it's a mainly artificial soul,” Sans comments. “It won’t last as long as it normally would.”

“How long do we have then?” Asgore asks.

“Normally, w-we could have anywhere from a couple of hours to several weeks, d-depending on the s-strength of the soul… But with artificial souls… I’d say we only have another hour a-at the most. Not even the d-determination will be enough to keep it g-going for long.”

Everyone sat in silence when she was done, contemplating and trying to absorb what the scientist just said. I began to spill tears again, worried that I would once again lose another child to events that I could have potentially prevented. I looked over at Asgore, who was looking down at the floor. Familiar sparks shined in his now empty looking eyes, tears welling up in them as well. The only chance we had of becoming a family again, and it was already slipping away.

I had then looked at the child sleeping next to me, only to be met with the urge to sob as I thought of what it would be like for them. Frisk worked so hard to try to save everyone, nearly sacrificed themselves just so monsters could live peacefully. I didn’t want to imagine what they would do if they found out all their hard work was for naught.

…

_*huff* *huff*_

**_You know, you won't be able to fight back forever. Soon, you’ll have to accept it. You don't deserve the life you were given._ **

_Shut! Up! Leave me alone!_

**_But what would be the fun in that? Seeing you squirm around, trying to avoid the vines of guilt, it’s so much more entertaining than timelines of death and destruction, why would I stop here?_ **

_I… I can’t take this anymore! Help!_

**_Oh, think you can cry for help? That’s cute, if not stupid! Go ahead, see what happens, I’ll wait._ **

_Frisk! Mom! Dad! Undyne! Sans! Pa-papyrus! Somebody! *sob* Somebody help!_

_…_

_**Well what do you know, nobody came. Well then, I guess we should-** _

Asriel, can you hear me?

_**W-what? What was that?** _

Asriel, this is all just a bad dream.

_D… Dad?_

…

We sat in near silence for a while, the only sounds being our scattered distraught sobbing and ragged breathing. We were motionless, unsure of what to do, until Undyne moved towards Asriel.

“Hey kid, can you hear me? You gotta wake up, we’re not going to stick around waiting for your lazy self to get up. We got work to do!”

Asriel remained silent. It reminded me of the last time we lost a child back in the Underground. Just like Asriel, Chara wouldn’t wake up from their slumber, no matter how much we called to them. I saw Asgore slump slightly in the corner of my eye, his eyes glazed as if he were remembering the same thing.

My attention then fell on Frisk, who had seemed to be woken up from Undyne’s naturally loud voice. They got up and walked over to Undyne’s side, following suit and leaning near Asriel to talk to him.

“Asriel, you’re going to be ok, alright? Don't let whatever you're going through end you. Use that determination I gave you, please!”

Pretty soon, everyone else went up to try talking to Asriel, all in a futile attempt to try to wake him up.

“Tiny Asgore, I believe in you! You must wake up! Who else is going to bleat in happiness when they taste my cooking?”

“A-Asriel, you can wake up. J-just imagine it being like an anime, y-you can defeat those bad guys!”

“Hey kid, wake up, or I’ll give those nightmares of yours an even worse time.”

I gave a small smile, seeing all of my friends trying their best to save my child. I tried not to think of how crushed they would all be if they lost him already. There was someone missing from the group now assembled on the bed, however. Asgore was still staring into space, his eyes glazed and tear-ridden. I moved towards him and tried to get his attention.

“Gorey… Why don’t you say something?” I offered. “He… He is your son after all.”

He looked up to me, his attention no longer on the memory, but tears still glistening, being absorbed by his fluffy cheeks. They made his golden eyes shine in the dim light of the basement, a spark of what could only assume was hope shining in the blackness of his pupils. Slowly, he got up and made his way over to the bed. The group separated, allowing him to see his son properly.

“Asriel…” He bellowed. “Asriel, can you hear me?”

There was a slight movement in Asriel, one so slight that it seems no one else noticed it except me and Asgore. He continued to speak.

“Asriel, this is all just a bad dream.”

…

Asriel, you’ve got to stay strong.

Asriel, you’ve need to stay determined.

**_Isn’t that just sweet. Even when they know there's nothing they can do, they still try. What a bunch of- Hey, what are you doing?_ **

_I… I’m not going to let you win Flowey. I’m… I’m going to stay determined… Determined to make you leave me alone!_

**_… Heh, alright then. You may be able to keep yourself sane for now, but I will never leave you. Remember, it's kill or be killed, and I will always remind you exactly of that. No amount of determination will ever stop that._ **

_Yes… It…_

…

“Will!”

Everyone jumps back as Asriel suddenly jerks up from his sleeping position. He had been mumbling something while Asgore spoke, then suddenly he had yelled something as he sat up. His eyes were open, a mix of anger and fear filled in them, his breathing came in rapid pants. After a moment, the negative mix in his eyes was instead replaced with one of confusion.

“Wh… What’s going on?”

Everyone, myself included, was still shocked at the sudden outburst from Asriel. However, Asgore was the first one to break out of this demeanor, as tears began once again coming out of him. However, they seemed to be tears of joy, as a warm smile now covered his face.

“My son… You’re finally awake! Oh, thank the heavens!” He wrapped his arms around Asriel, bringing him into a big monster hug. Asriel didn't return the embrace at first, but shortly after he wrapped his own arms around his father, tears also falling from his eyes.

“It was… It was so horrible…” Asriel stammered through the sobs. “I… I didn't know if I'd ever… See anyone again… What… What happened?”

“You f-fell into a nightmare coma. N-nobody could wake you up… E-except Asgore it seems.” Alphys answered.

Frisk was soon lifted onto the bed by Undyne, giving them the opportunity to join Asriel and Asgore in the hug. Asriel nuzzles into them, then landed his eyes on me, giving me an expectant smile. I smiled back, and made my way towards the group, wrapping my arms around all three of them. For once, I felt like we were a family again.

Through the small windows of the basement, the early summer sun began shining through. Papyrus excitedly nearly dragged Sans out the basement’s door, hoping to catch a glimpse of the beautiful sunrise with him. The rest of us chuckled at the display, and we decided to follow suit. Carrying Frisk while Asgore carried Asriel, we made our way out the door as well. Standing on the front porch of Undyne’s and Alphys’ house, we all looked towards the east. The sunrise shone beautifully, reminding me of the first time I saw it again nine months ago when Frisk first broke the barrier. Oranges, yellows, reds, and purples all began fleeting across the sky, the temperature increasing to a very comfortable warmth, contrasting to the rather chilly night prior.

I looked down at Frisk, and I find that they have fallen asleep again, a cheerful, small smile on their face, and their breathing steady and calming. I then glance over to the other goat-monsters. I notice something I never noticed before, that being that Asriel and Asgore both share beautiful golden eyes and their fur patterns are nearly identical. I’m briefly reminded of a younger Asgore, the one who I had fallen in love with so many years back, the first person I felt a really close connection to. Maybe Sans was right, maybe I should let go of the past for the sake of the present. Maybe it’s time I forgave Asgore.


	5. The Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toriel talks to Asgore again, only things go differently this time.

_Breathe… You’ll get through this… You’ll need to make this work. You’re just going to talk to Asgore again, nothing new. You can do this… Do this for the children. Do this for your sanity. Do it cause that one human person told you to. Ok…_

I walk up to Asgore’s doorstep. He currently lives in a small house just a walk down the road from our house. Thinking back, I don’t quite understand why I chose to buy such a big house when it was just Frisk and me. I suppose now, with the addition of Asriel and hopefully soon Asgore, it’s a good thing I chose to do so.

It is a really nice house, Asgore’s that is. He still tends to the garden around it, and it looks surprisingly still in decent condition. The white of the outside almost matches my fur, and the purple tiled roof is just one shade darker than that of the delta robes. There is a metal decoration of the delta rune itself hanging on his door. Seems he really likes the insignia. Probably him trying to hold on to the memories of his family, or our old life. It’s sweet.

After admiring the view, I finally take my hand and move it towards the door. I hesitate for a moment, then give three knocks on the wood. A silence follows for what feels like an eternity, making me think that no one is going to respond, but then I hear the door click open, and behind it is the goat-monster I wanted to talk to.

“Toriel?” He asks, surprise quite clear on his face.

“Hello Asgore, do you mind if we talk?” I replied, surprised at how sincere I actually sounded.

“No, I don’t mind. Come in. Would you like some tea?”

“N… Yes please.” I knew that the only tea he ever stockpiled was golden flower tea, but at the moment that didn’t sound too bad. Maybe it would calm my otherwise jumpy nerves.

I walked inside and saw the interior of Asgore’s house for the first time. I see a living room, a kitchen, and a hallway leading to two bedrooms and a bathroom. It’s simple, very plain unlike our house back in New Home. There isn’t too much resemblance of New Home, which is a little surprisingly. However, I do notice several potted golden flowers placed around, including yellow asters, sunflowers, and buttercups.

He leads me to the kitchen, and I sit down at the lone table there. Surprisingly, there’s already two chairs there, as if he is always expecting someone to fill in the empty chair. It’s kind of sad thinking about how many days he’s gone with this thought in mind.

“So what brings you here today, Toriel?” Asgore asks, trying to make conversation.

“I… Was hoping to amend what I had said to you yesterday.” I replied.

He sat down in the chair next to me, two cups of tea in his hands. “W-what do you mean?”

“I’m… Sorry for the way I acted during our talk. I guess… I didn’t expect that kind of answer coming from you, saying you first only loved me cause of you needed a wife. I suppose… Because of how we used to be, I thought that you had always loved me for me.”

“Toriel… That may have been true then, but I told you. I really did begin to truly fall in love with you after we got married. After all, I don’t think that if I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t have been this desperate to get us back together.”

I gave a little chuckle. “Yes, I suppose it was a bit irrational of me. Maybe I should listen more instead of jumping to conclusions like that. It’d be a bad influence for the children.”

“Yes.” We both took sips of our tea, but I don’t remember it being this sweet and salty. In fact, it’s almost at a perfect mix of sweetness and saltiness, much different than the sourness that was in golden flower tea. It tasted like snails almost. I liked it.

“What kind of tea is this?”

“Mongolian salty tea. It was recommended to me by one of the nearby tea-leaf farmers once he heard I enjoyed snails. I thought you would like it as well.”

“Yes, very much so.” It was a very thoughtful gesture, easing my nerves further as I took another sip of the tea. “Do you remember the first time we gave tea to our children?”

“Oh golly, that was a fun trick we played.” Asgore chuckled. “I had found some unopened kuding tea in the back of Grillby’s and was curious as to how it was. Imagine my surprise when I found it the most bitter tea I’ve ever had!”

“Then you decided to give some to Asriel and Chara after they constantly asked you what tea tasted like. I’m surprised that Asriel still drinks tea after that, but I’m sure Chara absolutely disliked it after that.”

“Yes, and their faces were a wonderful reaction.”

We laughed at the memory, one of the fondest moments we had as a family. We continued talking about various event from our past for a while, like when we first met Chara, how we discovered they were the one who kept stealing the chocolate, the sugar-high Asriel first went on when he had too many slices of pie, followed shortly by him groaning as the stomach ache finally set in. Thinking back, a lot of the shenanigans our family got in were due to our children, specifically Chara. Even if it did get annoying sometimes, they were always such nice memories. We fell silent for a moment once we were done.

“Asgore…” I said to break the unsettling silence. “Do you… Think we could… Ever experience those memories again?”

“Well… Maybe. However, there are some memories I wished we never had to experience before.”

“Of course… Like when we lost both our children…”

“Or when I decided to kill every human that came Underground… Every time I looked into their eyes, I saw the same thing… Fear. I didn’t want to kill them, I didn’t want to kill any of them, despite what their race did to us.” I could see the start of tears shining in his eyes.

“Well like I said before, you could have just killed one and gone to the surface to collect seven there.”

“Yes, but… I still don’t think I could’ve done it then. Even if none of them showed fear, I still wouldn’t have the heart to just kill the humans.”

“You always were a big softie, weren’t you?”

“Of course, that’s how my father was anyways. Even if he had an era-warped mindset at times, he was still a good king.”

“His death must be another memory you wish to never experience again.”

Surprisingly, he chuckles a bit. “Well, yes maybe to an extent. But if it weren’t for the unfortunate event, I might have never fallen in love for you.”

I could feel my face heating up as I blushed a bit, a small smile now on my face. Maybe letting go of all of the past wasn’t the issue, but just letting go of those memories that we wished to be forgotten. Maybe that was my problem, as I suddenly felt that whatever burden was troubling me, its metaphorical weight has been lifted. I finally spoke the words I’ve been wanting to say, while having the most sincerity I could muster.

“Asgore… Would you like to be a family again?”

He looked at me, a rather shocked expression upon his face. However, that expression soon changed to one of delight, as the tears that were threatening to spill did so, not in grief but in happiness. He got out of his seat and made his way over to me, grabbing me in a strong hug. I was frozen in surprise before I wrapped my arms around him as well.

“Yes, Tori! I would like that a lot! You have no idea!”

And he probably had little idea how much I liked this as well. Soon, tears also came to my eyes, thinking about the future we had together. Not only as a family, but the future monster-kind had as well.

…

This felt so weird. I wish I had looked into the traditions of a human marriage, cause maybe then I would have felt less awkward and look a lot less like a fool. Unlike monster marriages, there’s no puzzle dance, no familial brawl, no crowning, nothing that occurred the last time I was married. Then again, that was a long time ago, and I had only ever experienced one marriage thus far.

No, instead human marriages were much for straight forward. Everyone collected in one room, the bride walks down the aisle, the preacher speaks, the two getting married say their vows, then they say their “I do’s.” There was also some tradition of the bride and groom not being allowed to see each other until they married, which was a pain.

Over the past month, I had began to re-experience the things I missed so much about Asgore. His laugh, so deep and yet so fatherly. His snoring, while loud, kept the silence from creeping in, and left rumblings within his chest that comforted me. His fur, always so warm and fluffy. His embrace, so comforting and so… Just wonderful.

There were many other things of Asgore I had missed, and at the moment I missed them more than ever. Unfortunately, if we were to live of the surface as a functioning family, we would have to follow some of the human traditions. Frisk made this very clear to us, and had helped us plan the entire event.

When we came home and told Frisk and Asriel what was going to happen, they both had bursted into tears. I had noticed that tears seem to be a common thing our family provided… It was cute. Just a big family of cry babies. Asriel was excited that the family he remembered could finally be a thing again, and Frisk was happy as well, but I have a feeling that they were for different reasons. There was just something about how they talked and how their eyes shown that told me that.

With this knowledge, I feel it helped Asriel with adjusting to his life on the surface during the last month. Granted, he still had yet to experience school life, but he would be going into the same grade as Frisk, so they could still help him. The two had grown extremely close, probably because Frisk reminded Asriel just the tiniest bit of Chara, not so much their personalities, but the way they looked. It made me happy to see these two bonding.

Once Undyne and I had finished putting on my dress, I looked at myself in the mirror. It was a beautiful red dress, almost matching my crimson eyes, and it brought out my fur perfectly. It was Mettaton’s choice, and I trusted him highly to know what fashion was. However, we had made sure Asgore had yet to see it, making me giddy with anticipation at his reaction. In return, I had yet to see what suit Mettaton chose for him.

“You look great, Toriel!” Undyne exclaimed.

“Do you really think so? It isn’t too extravagant, is it?” I asked, a little stunned at what I saw.

“Of course! And don’t think I’m just saying that cause you’re my employer, I don’t just say that to anyone in a dress.”

“Except maybe Alphys, I assume?”

Undyne blushed a little and rubbed the back of her head. “I mean, uh, yeah. I suppose so.”

I gave a little smirk, then I hugged her in thanks. When she returned it, I had noticed something. Her arms and muscles, despite being much skinnier than mine, felt much like Asgore. They felt firm, able to take almost any weight. It just made me long to see him again, a feeling I never expected to feel again.

Thankfully, Alphys had came bursting into the room, telling us that it’s finally time. I was led by the two of them to the entrance of the nave, then Alphys left us to go to her position as Frisk walked in front of me, taking the role of flower person. They looked cute in the little blue dress they wore, and they gave me a big smile as we heard the music start up.

The doors opened, and Frisk made their way down the aisle, tossing back white, gold, and purple flower petals. Slowly and nervously, Undyne and me followed them, and my eyes began to wander. Many monsters from the Underground were there, as well as some human colleagues I had made at the school. Asriel was also there, a cheerful face, and the rings within his paws. He seemed to be a bit nervous as well, and it comforted me that I wasn’t alone.

Finally, my eyes landed on Asgore. It was surprising that I didn’t notice him before, seeing as he was the biggest creature there. He was wearing what seemed like a very simple purple pinstripe suit at first, but then behind him was a long cape in a similar pattern as the suit. He had a matching dark purple bow tie, and he wore what seemed to be golden shoulder pads. He was stunning, suffice to say.

Without even realizing it, I had made it to my destination in front of Asgore. I then looked into his eyes. They were shining their ever shining gold, one I only now realized Asriel had as well. They were beautiful, no matter what emotion had chosen to shown itself within them. I had been staring at them until I had heard the preacher ask for the vows. We each read our piece, then the moment of truth came.

“Toriel,” She began. “Do you take Asgore to be your lawfully wedded mate, through all the troubles that may come within this world until the day you die?”

“I do.” I responded, and I saw Asgore visibly relax.

“And Asgore, do you take Toriel to be your lawfully wedded mate, through all the troubles that may come within this world until the day you die?”

“I do.” He echoed, the pounding in my heart only quickening in excitement.

“Then I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride.”

And without hesitation, the two of us kissed, one of the most passionate kisses we ever gave to each other, and the first of our renewed marriage. It would be known as the kiss of the first married monster couple of the surface, and it would be a base for all future marriages to come.

…

After the hour long drive from Papyrus, we had finally made it to the airport. Neither Asgore nor I exactly could drive well yet, so we had resorted to the one monster we knew got the hang of it, despite Papyrus trying his best to teach us to do so. Either way, we had finally made it, and we found Sans waiting just outside for us.

After a bit of consideration, everyone within our group of friends had decided Sans would’ve been the best choice as an ambassador for Frisk. Not only was he normally the complete opposite of what most monster stereotypes were, but we also knew he was one of the better fighters and protectors in case anything were about to happen to Frisk. He also had managed to learn many foreign languages within the past ten months, which made him another essential piece for us.

We grabbed all the luggage and made gave it to him and Frisk. It was finally time for them to go around the world and help convince the humans that all we want was peace and to live. I know it will be a hard job, but I have trust in them. Thankfully, the house won’t feel so lonely with Asgore and Asriel, which was honestly one of my original worries. We all then gave our last goodbyes to the two.

“Farewell my child, please do us proud.”

“Frisk, stay determined, it will get you far.”

“Bye Frisk, thank you for everything! I won’t disappoint you!”

“Human! Don’t forget the spaghetti I have provide in one of your cases! I don’t want you to come home hungry!”

I then turned to Sans, and gave him a very grateful smile.

“Thank you Sans… Not only for helping Frisk with this… But also for helping me with him.” I gestured towards Asgore. He gave a chuckle.

“No problem Tori. If anything ever gets your goat again, just call me. I’ll help you if I can.”

Leave it to Sans to find the comedy in a serious moment, leaving me laughing as they finally set off to the airport. I had asked Frisk to call whenever they could, as I knew I would constantly worry about them otherwise. We finally split ways, and Papyrus drove us remaining three Dreemurrs home.

It was still very early in the morning, and Asriel had fallen back asleep. While Asgore carried him up to his room, I made my way to our shared bedroom. A moment to myself, I sighed to recollect all the exciting things that had happened to us within the past month. Asriel finally returning to us, Asgore and me getting back together, Frisk finally leaving to help monster kind, it was all so exciting and wonderful. When Asgore walked back in, I had suddenly began to feel extremely affectionate. I had gestured him over to me, and when he was in close proximity, I gave him a long, loving kiss, to which he returned just as lovingly.

“Everything is going to be wonderful from now on.” Asgore whispered.

“Indeed…” I responded. “I’m sorry again, for all that I’ve done to you.”

“Me too, Tori. Hm… Since Asriel’s asleep and Frisk is gone…”

I chuckled, knowing exactly what he was going to suggest. “Gorey, you sly dog…”

“What can I say?” He kissed me again. “I love you Tori.”

I kissed him back. “I love you too Gorey.” And I knew we meant it this time. Despite the vibrant colors of the flora, nothing could compare to the vibrant colors of the man I married. It was a marriage I knew would actually last this time, for better or for worse.

**END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that is another story I can check of the list I have to write. Thank you everyone who read this! I know Torigore isn't exactly the most popular ship, but I still think the two would get back together somehow after the revival of Asriel.
> 
> Anyways, I promise you that the next stories will have a bit more planning and a bit less writers block within them. I'm sorry for this one not being updated as quickly as my other two, I'm just not quite as obsessed with this ship as I am with Friskriel.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


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